Burglar-alarm



(No Model.)

W. D. MATNEY.

BURGLAR ALARM.

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETEns, PMv-Lllhcgmpher, wahsn nm ac.

LII

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. MATNEY, OF HARVEL, ILLINOIS.

BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,356, dated May 2,1882.

Application filed November 5, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. MATNEY, of Harvel, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Burglar-Alarms, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for protecting safes and vaults bygiving an alarm when they are approached; and it consists in aspring-platform acting, when stepped upon, to operate an electric alarm,as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, the platform being removed toshow the mechanism beneath; and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection.

- The apparatus will be placed at the front of the safe or vault, theplatform proper being on a level with and forming a part of the floor,

so that in coming close to the safe a person will need to step on theplatform.

A is the platform. a a are spiral springs sustained on a suitablesupport, B, beneath the platform, and on which the platform rests whenset for use. b b are end bars, and o c are side bars, placed around theplatform and setting loosely on the support B, and c c are side barsplaced between the platform and the side bars 0. The outer side bars, 0,and one end bar, b, are rigidly connected at their ends, while the otherend bar, b, is connected at its ends to bars 0 by cords d passing aroundfriction-rollers 0. Both end bars, b b, are connected to the inner sidebars, 0, by cords f passing over friction-rollers g. By theseconnections the bars 12 and c c are moved outward or away from theplatform when the bar I) is moved. This outward movement is opposed, andthe movable bars are afterward returned to their normal position bymeans of springs arranged between bars 00, as shownin Fig.1. A lever, g,is connected to the bar I) for its movement by hand.

On the endbars, I) Z), and side bars, 0 0, there are studs orprojections h, which extend beneath the platform and support it when thebars are in their inward position.

Beneath the platform, in suitable bearings, is a rockshaft, 6, havingarms k 7;, from which links 6 I pass to and are connected with the endbar I) for movement therewith. There is also an arm, on, projecting fromthe rock shaft, on the end of which a block, a, is at tached by aball-and-socket joint. One wire, 0, of an electric circuit, whichincludes an alarm placed at any suitable place, connects with acontact-plate beneath the platform, and the other wire, 0, connects witha similar plate on the upper side of the block it, so that when theblock and platform are in contact the circuit shall be closed.

The operation'is as follows: During the day, or when the safe is inordinary use, the movable side and end bars will be moved inward, andthe platform will thus be supported. At other times the bars will bemoved out, so that the platform rests on the springs a, and the rockshaftt' being turned by movement of bar I), the arm m, carrying theblock n, is moved down into a horizontalposition and the block held ashort distance below the platform. In this position the platform is freeto be moved down bywcight being put on it, and the downward movementwill close the circuit as soon as the block a is touched by theplatform. This construction provides perfect security.

1 do not limit myself to the special arrange ment of devices for closingthe circuit, as they may be varied, and the alarm may be given on openor closed circuit.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the spring-supported platform,wires of an electric circuit, contact points in an alarm circuit thatare brought into contact by the downward movement of the platform, andmovable supports arranged to sustain the platform rigidly when required,substantially as shown and described.

' 2. The combination of spring-platform A,

movable blc ok it, and the circuit-Wires 0 0, 4:. The movable bar 1),links I, rock-shaft '1, connecting with the blocks and platform, rearmsk m, and jointed block 12, substantially spectively, substantially asshown and deas shown and described, combined with the IO scribed.spring-platform A, for operation as set forth. 3. The movable bars I)l), 0 c, and c 0, con- VILLTAM D. MATNEY.

nected together and provided with studs h, in Witnesses:

combination with the spring-platform A, sub- BARTHOLOMEW TULPIN,

stantially as and for the purposes set forth. ANDREW J. THOMASON.

